Dodds, Victoria

High blood pressure is a silent illness affecting almost half the American adult population, many of whom are unaware of its presence or fatal consequences. Vulnerable populations are at an increased risk for high blood pressure (HBP) and sequelae due to a low socioeconomic status and low level of education. The purpose of this evidence-based quality improvement (QI) telehealth project was to improve hypertension self-management (HSM) at a free health clinic in south Florida. This telehealth modality employed synchronous, real-time interactions that promoted active patient involvement and provided evidence of an improvement in systolic blood pressure (SBP) through effective HSM.